Aoun Vows to Tackle All Pending Issues between Lebanon and Syria

 10 January 2025, Lebanon, Baabda: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun waits to receive his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides at Baabda presidential palace. Photo: Marwan Naamani/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
10 January 2025, Lebanon, Baabda: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun waits to receive his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides at Baabda presidential palace. Photo: Marwan Naamani/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
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Aoun Vows to Tackle All Pending Issues between Lebanon and Syria

 10 January 2025, Lebanon, Baabda: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun waits to receive his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides at Baabda presidential palace. Photo: Marwan Naamani/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
10 January 2025, Lebanon, Baabda: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun waits to receive his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides at Baabda presidential palace. Photo: Marwan Naamani/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stressed on Sunday the importance of cooperation to address all pending issues between Lebanon and Syria.

He received a telephone call from head of Syria’s new authorities Ahmed al-Sharaa, who congratulated him on his election as president on Thursday.

Aoun underscored the “fraternal relations that bind the Syrian and Lebanese people.”

The officials also stressed the importance of building and developing positive relations between their countries.

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati had visited Damascus on Saturday for talks with al-Sharaa.

The leaders stressed their keenness on building long-term strategic relations based on mutual respect and national sovereignty after decades of strained ties.

The trip was the first by a head of government to Syria since Bashar al-Assad was toppled by a sweeping opposition offensive on Dec. 8, and the first visit by a Lebanese premier to neighboring Syria in 15 years. Ties between Damascus and Beirut have often been fraught since they became independent states in the 1940s.



US Sees Possible Gaza Deal This Week, Sullivan Says

White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP)
White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP)
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US Sees Possible Gaza Deal This Week, Sullivan Says

White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP)
White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP)

The Biden administration sees a possible Gaza truce as soon as this week, White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan told Bloomberg News on Monday, adding that there were no guarantees that the parties would agree to such a deal.

Sullivan, speaking to Bloomberg in an interview, added that US President Joe Biden's administration has been in contact with incoming President Donald Trump's team and has sought to have a united front on the issue ahead of Washington's Jan. 20 transition of power.

"The pressure building here towards the end of President Biden's term has been considerable," Sullivan said. "It's there for the taking."

Biden leaves office next week after Democrats lost the White House in November's election, handing back the US government to Trump and his fellow Republicans, who will control both chambers of Congress.

Envoys of both Biden and Trump attended weekend talks on the potential deal.

"The question is now: Can we all collectively seize the moment and make this happen," Sullivan told Bloomberg, adding that Biden had directed him to work closely with the incoming team.